Canva Alternatives: 13 Best Design Tools

canva alternatives

Canva is one of the most popular online design tools available, but it is far from the only one. Bloggers and creators of all kinds utilize these kinds of tools each day for running businesses or simply creating beautiful graphics.

The reasons to want an alternative to Canva are numerous. Whether it is for a different pricing plan, larger selection, different interface, or something else, there are tools available for everyone. Here is a list of 13 of the best ones.

1. Placeit.net

Placeit is my #1 recommended alternative to Canva.

Placeit.net is the strongest contender for entirely replacing Canva as a one-stop tool for all design needs. Placeit.net includes access to:

  • Design templates
  • Logo creation
  • Mockups
  • Video creation
  • T-shirt designs

And more. Almost any design need a business or hobbyist may have can be met on the website. Plus, additional templates are added every day, so the library is one of the largest on the web.

Everything created on Placeit integrates with each other, making it perfect for setting up branding. You could easily create a logo on the site, import it to a t-shirt design, and then place that design on a t-shirt mockup to sell. Taking that same logo and applying it to social media posts to advertise the shirt is also an easy task.

With the number of options available here, it is almost a guarantee that you will find a template matching what you need. Searching on the site is also effortless, thanks to well-organized categories.

Most things on the site are split into four categories:

  • Mockups are meant for marketing images and material. They are basic images of t-shirts, cups, mugs, phones, and other everyday objects. A design is applied to the mockup to make it easier to sell online.
  • Designs cover everything from t-shirts to flyers, social media posts, and business cards. Everything a business needs to run can be found here.
  • Logos are a unique feature to Placeit, allowing a business to quickly find a template and customize it to what they want.
  • Videos are animated designs usually used for social media posts that allow for extra variety. Things like Instagram stories and Facebook banners are common.

Plans and Pricing

Placeit.net includes plenty of free templates to get used to the website. Or monthly plans are available for $14.95 that grant unlimited access to everything. Placeit also offers 15% off any plan for new users.

2. Stencil

Stencil focuses its capabilities on marketing and social media images. Traditional graphic design capabilities that Canva and some other alternatives on this list have have been cut out. While this may seem like a bad thing, it is beneficial for people only looking for specific posts.

By reducing what they offer, Stencil makes it extremely easy to do a few things. Some of their best categories include:

  • Email templates
  • Social media posts
  • Stock photos
  • Logo creation and storage

They are a robust tool for anyone looking to run a business online, but do not cover everything. Finer control over creations tends to get lost in the weeds. However, they excel at allowing for brands to exist online cohesively. Fonts, logos, and templates can easily be applied across mediums. Stencil markets itself as a tool for creating social media graphics.

Plans and Pricing

Stencil offers various payment plans, including a free plan that allows for ten images per month.Like almost every other option on this list, they limit access to icons and other features, but it is a great way to get your feet wet and try it out.

If you like the tool, they have paid options, including a $9 per month “Pro” plan and a $12 per month “Unlimited” plan. The Pro plan still limits the number of images that can be saved but unlocks the rest of the site. The Unlimited plan unlocks the entire website and allows you to save as many images as you want.

3. Crello

Crello’s main interesting feature is the ability to create animation and video content for easy sharing. It contains similar templates to others on this list, focusing on modern businesses with minimalist aesthetics. While it seems more than capable for traditional Canva uses, the animations are pretty unique.

Throwing in animations or video content on social media is a great way to draw new attention and spice things up. Outside of Placeit.net, few other tools on this list support animations.

On Crello, they list several animated design categories. These include:

  • Square Video Posts
  • Facebook Video Covers
  • Full HD Videos
  • Instagram Story Videos
  • Facebook Story Videos
  • Animated Logos
  • TikTok Videos

Having a variety of animated templates this large is a great boon for anyone looking to supplement another tool on this list. Otherwise, their traditional templates are also expansive.

Plans and Pricing

Crello also supports a Started and Pro plan. The Starter plan supports five unique downloads per month and grants access to over 30,000 templates. Animated options are not locked behind the Pro paywall, which is a nice perk.

Upgrading to the Pro plan for $10 per month grants unlimited downloads, team collaboration options, and background customization. You can also choose to upgrade for $8 per month if you pay yearly.

4. Fotor

Fotor supports collage and design creation like Canva but expands to include extensive photo editing options as well. This is an excellent feature for hobbyists who do not want to spring for an expensive program such as Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop.

Instead, Fotor lets image editing happen quickly in the browser. Adjustments, effects, frames, and more are all available. For most people who are not professional photographers, this tool covers more than enough to function well. Plus, it is easy to try out on their free basic plan.

Their design and collage creation tools are also robust, but clearly not the focus of the program. Fotor’s number of designs, preloaded images, and templates is significantly lower than most other tools on this list.

Fotor is unlikely to fully replace Canva for a business or person who uses it extensively, but it is a great supplement.

Plans and Pricing

Upgrading to Fotor’s Pro or Pro+ plans removes ads, increases the number of templates available, and unlocks more advanced editing tools. The Pro+ plan includes priority email support and stock photos updated frequently.

The Pro plan costs $8.99 per month, while the Pro+ plan costs $19.99 per month. Most small businesses will work best with the Pro plan.

5. Piktochart

Piktochart is another specialty tool like Fotor mentioned earlier in the list. It does not heavily support Instagram posts or general marketing materials. Piktochart focuses on infographics, presentations, and reports.

This is a bit of a niche area, but if your business commonly uses any of these, Piktochart is one of the best tools on the market. Some of their most famous clients include:

  • Disney
  • Kraft Heinz
  • Typeform
  • Booking.com

With influential names trusting the tool, you can be sure that it will serve you well. Piktochart fully supports great utilities like brand customization, sheet linking, and templates to make the process as easy as possible.

For infographics, there is almost nothing better out there. However, it is essential to note that this will never be a total replacement for Canva or placeit.net. The tool does not support any sort of graphic design images. It is highly specialized.

Plans and Pricing

Their free plan allows for up to five saved visuals at a time and includes access to their entire template and image library, making it one of the better available ones. However, all exports do include their watermark. Paying is necessary to remove that.

Their Pro plan is more expensive than others on this list at $29 per month. This is likely due to how specialized the tool is. The Pro plan upgrades the personal storage limit, allows for unlimited visuals, additional customization, and no watermark. Anyone looking to use the tool seriously will want to upgrade to this level.

They also include a Teams level for companies to take advantage of. For $99 per month, five team members get access to everything at the Pro level. Secure sign-ins and sharing tools are also included.

6. DesignBold

DesignBold is another tool that niches down a bit from Canva’s typical offerings. Rather than trying to expand and beat out the competition with more templates, DesignBold has invested in their stock photo options.

That’s not to say that the company has not invested in good templates; they have over 20,000 available. Their great selection of images is one of the best of any of these tools. Social media posts and traditional graphic design creations benefit significantly from this.

The tool is straightforward to use thanks to an intuitive UI and beautiful templates. Some of their popular categories include:

  • Business cards
  • Flyers
  • Social Media Posts (such as Instagram)

Plans and Pricing

Their various plans are organized well, especially for people looking just to try out the tool. Their free option allows for five design downloads per month and 2GB of personal storage on the site. This is nice for revisiting designs and comparing them.

Text effects and many of their templates are also available in the Free plan. Upgrading to their Pro plan costs $10 per month or $8 per month if paid yearly. This expands their offerings to an extra 4,000+ premium layouts, social media tool integration, and additional customization options.

7. Pixelied

Pixelied is another tool that covers everything that Canva does. Rather than niching down at all, it simply aims to offer a different experience from Canva. This is an excellent option to explore for anyone getting sick of Canva’s offerings or simply looking for a change of pace.

As with almost every other design tool on this list, Pixelied utilizes thousands of different templates to make designing different images and social media posts easy. It also includes stock photos and icons that cover a variety of looks.

Their design and workspace are some of the easiest to navigate. It is a great and good-looking option for people looking to break into these kinds of design tools or experiment with what is available. A nice tutorial that explains all of the different options also walks users through it for their first time.

Plans and Pricing

Pixelied’s free plan is one of the best out there for people looking for the basics. The free plan operates by simply limiting the number of templates and stock photos available to users. However, unlike other tools, an unlimited number of designs can be downloaded. This is great for businesses tight on cash or the average person looking to throw in some creativity.

Their Pro plan is a worthy upgrade for anyone who falls in love with the tool. For $9.95 per month, access to all templates, stock photos, and icons is included. This price also includes team members and brand assets for quickly switching between clients if you are a freelance designer.

8. Pixlr

Pixlr is actually divided into two separate tools that both serve as good Canva alternatives. Pixlr E is an online photo editor featuring advanced features for aspiring photographers. Pixlr X is a quick graphic design tool that covers the same things as Canva and includes social media posts, flyers, and more.

Pixlr E

Pixlr E is similar to Fotor mentioned earlier in this list. It includes a collage tool, a powerful online image editor, and plenty of nice features. Notably, it supports layers in the photo editor. This is useful for an Adobe Photoshop alternative or those looking to customize their designs more.

Tools like healing brushes, adjustments, crops, and text are all supported. Of what is on this list, it is one of the more powerful customization tools. With all of that said, it could be overwhelming for beginners. A small amount of design knowledge will be beneficial for anyone looking to use Pixlr E.

Pixlr X

On the other side of the same tool, Pixlr X is an easy-to-use tool for beginners or non-designers. The number of options available is limited to the bare essentials, and they have recently added templates to it. While still not the easiest on the list to use, getting used to the tool should not take much time.

Plans and Pricing

Pixlr’s pricing plans are pretty simple. Access to both tools is included regardless of what you choose, and switching between the two is simple. The free plan includes essential editing tools and features ads for support. The number of stickers and overlays included is also limited.

The paid Premium plan costs $8 per month, or only $4.90 if bought yearly. A 30-day free trial is also available for anyone on the fence. It includes access to absolutely everything on the site, including:

  • Expanded editing tools
  • An AI-powered background cut out tool
  • Additional overlays and stickers
  • Templates
  • Tutorials
  • No ads

9. Tyle

Tyle excels at creating video content utilizing easy and good-looking templates. Many video tools online can become convoluted to use, but Tyle handles it all exceptionally well.

Creating a video in Tyle is only a three-step process:

  1. Choose a template
  2. Upload media and text
  3. Edit layers

Realistically, this can even be cut down to two steps if you are pleased with the initial template you choose. Throwing in video for social media posts or brands is a great way to mix things up and increase engagement.

Tyle also supports slideshows for photographs and collages if you do not have any video clips to use. An extensive library of stock footage is available. This is a helpful feature for anyone who often creates inspirational quotes or text-based images. Including a moving background for compelling areas will help focus attention.

Plans and Pricing

Tyle is a more expensive option than other tools on this list, mainly because it does not support static images. The Free plan allows for slideshows up to 20 slides long and supports most editing features and some templates. The upgraded Monthly plan costs $31 per month and expands support. It includes all of the website’s templates and stock libraries, URL sharing, and custom color palettes and sizes.

This is a highly-specific Canva replacement that only a few people will get use out of. However, if you are interested in producing video content, it is a great option. 

10. Snappa

Snappa, much like Canva and other tools on this list like Placeit.net, aims to be a one-stop design tool for everyone. Regardless of your knowledge of design or other disciplines, it should be possible to use this tool effectively.

Snappa functions using pre-built templates and image dimensions. There’s no need to look up how large an Instagram post should be or what size icon should be used for a YouTube channel; Snappa covers it all.

Their customization tools are fairly limited but serve perfectly fine for total beginners or those too busy to expand into design. Logos, vectors, and images can all be found directly in the tool to make things easier.

The style of their templates tends to be more modern and lighter, so it is worth taking a look through their library before deciding on them. While it is all top quality, they have a smaller library than some other offerings on this list.

Plans and Pricing

Snappa offers monthly or yearly plans, with the yearly plans being a better deal. They also have a Free Starter tier for trying out the tool. It allows one user and access to a variety of their templates. Users at this tier can download three images per month.

They also have a Pro tier that unlocks their photos and graphics for more customization. It costs $15 per month. This tier includes social media tool integrations, custom fonts, and unlimited downloads. For anyone looking to use this tool to run a business for themselves, this is the best one.

Snappa is somewhat unique for having a Team tier, where up to 5 users are supported for a lowered price of $30 per month. It includes all features of the Pro tier while integrating team collaboration tools.

11. RelayThat

RelayThat occupies a somewhat unique role among these tools, allowing for branded visuals to easily be customized and saved. While that is a normal function, it includes some specific features that make supporting multiple businesses or websites at once easy. It can be thought of as a complete marketing replacement rather than a Canva solution.

RelayThat allows users to upload brand assets and apply them to multiple templates. This is fantastic for setting up a business’s entire online presence quickly while also being able to edit it later. Thanks to the drag-and-drop functioning and smart AI, it is easy to update as necessary.

The tool allows for previous designs to be uploaded and organized using brand guidelines, or you can create it all entirely through the website. By saving specific settings like brand colors, logos, variants, and images, the time required to create an online brand can be easily cut in half.

RelayThat also expands and includes additional brand management features. Things such as:

  • Headline generators
  • Curated libraries
  • Asset unification
  • Stock images

Are all included for easy access to monitor your entire business. RelayThat is likely overkill for any individual creator, but business owners looking for a new tool may be served very well by this.

Plans and Pricing

For the expanded features and included assets outside of image creation, the price of RelayThat is higher than some others on this list. They do not have a free plan, but include plenty of video examples for getting a feel for the tool. Their Pro plan costs $25 per month and supports up to 2 users. It grants access to everything mentioned above and allows for unlimited downloads. However, it only supports up to 20 projects at a time.

Projects in RelayThat are different brands or projects rather than images. This makes 20 more than enough for most users. However, if you need more, their Enterprise plan is also available by contacting the company.

12. Easil

Easil includes a varied and extensive array of image editing capabilities, making it one of the more powerful tools included on this list. It still relies on many templates to get started, but users can realistically create unique and custom images using this tool.

While this customizability is greatly useful for many people, Easil can be overwhelming for total beginners. This is also a tool that creates images meant to share in a team. Branded templates both for internal and external use are easy to create here.

Team sharing tools are built directly into Easil for easy brand management. Once again, it is a tool better suited for small businesses than hobbyists.

It includes a wide variety of templates that tend to be more unique than some of the other smaller options, making standing out easier. They also include a large library of exclusive royalty-free images. This is especially great, as it basically guarantees that your posts will look exclusive and unique from other businesses using these tools.

Plans and Pricing

Easil’s pricing is simple. Their free plan includes a number of design elements and over 1 million stock images that can quickly be dropped into designs. It also supports uploading your own images and a nice organization system online. Downloading your designs gets tricky using the free plan, however.

The Easil Plus plan is available for $7.50 per month and expands the free plan’s features. All of their templates become usable, expanding the library to over 10,000. Team workflows, resizing, and additional customization tools just begin to scratch the surface of what the plan includes.

13. Visme

Visme is one of the few alternatives on the list that can whole-cloth replace Canva. Rather than specialize or niche down on one category that Canva does, Visme aims to beat Canva with size and availability. Even their website wants users to go to them for everything.

Everything that Canva can do, Visme can also. Infographics, social media posts, videos, documents – templates are here for everything. While their library is still smaller than Canva’s, it is undoubtedly expansive enough to cover almost any business’s needs.

Editing and customization have been simplified even further, making this an ideal option for users who want to finish up their social media and branding needs in a few minutes a week.

The inclusion of video options is relatively rare as well, increasing the value of Visme. Overall, it is a powerful alternative. With that said, there are some important notes about the service.

Plans and Pricing

Visme’s free plan offers less than Canva’s does, and their paid plans can be more expensive. The free plan supports up to 5 projects at a time, downloadable in a JPG format. The number of templates is, as expected, limited, as is access to various widgets and charts. While it is a respectable free plan, you may find yourself wanting more before paying.

The cheapest paid plan for Visme is the Standard plan, which costs $15 per month, billed yearly. Up to 15 projects are supported here, and storage expands to 250 MB. Visme branding on projects is removed, and additional download options are available.

From there, plans go up in price, project support, and storage. The Business plan costs $29 per month, billed annually. It is, as you might expect, built for larger businesses. Beyond that, Enterprise plans are available for custom pricing by contacting Visme.

Conclusion

Placeit is my #1 recommended alternative to Canva because it offers the most features, templates, commercial usage rights, and ability to copyright/trademark your design, at the lowest cost.

There are plenty of design tools online that can replace Canva. Many of these alternatives opt to focus down on a specific part of Canva rather than replacing it entirely. Some others, such as Placeit, manage to include everything that is part of Canva and more.